Substance Use Disorder

Topic write up

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MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine, the largest biomedical library in the world. Use MedlinePlus.gov anywhere, anytime, on any device - for free - to discover high-quality health and wellness information that is reliable, easy to understand, and free of advertising, in both English and Spanish.

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Also discover MyHeathfinder.gov to learn how to Talk with Your Doctor About Drug Misuse and to find other easy-to-read Substance Use and Misuse information.


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NIH LogoThe National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the largest supporter of the world’s research on substance use and addiction and plays a major role in HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM). Launched in April 2018, this initiative, funded by Congress, provides scientific solutions to the national opioid overdose crisis, including improved treatment strategies for pain as well as opioid use disorders (OUDs). The agency also sponsors National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW) to stimulate educational events in communities so teens can learn what science has taught us about drug use and addiction.
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism advances research alcohol's impact on health.
  • National Institute of Mental Illness researches and transforms the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses including drug, alcohol, or tobacco addiction. Multiple national population surveys have found that about half of those who experience a mental illness during their lives will also experience a substance use disorder and vice versa. [Source]
  • The Network of the National Library of Medicine is an education outreach program of the National Library of Medicine, the largest biomedical library in the world. The outreach efforts of the NNLM assure that researchers, health professionals, the public health workforce and the public are aware of and have access to quality health information.
    • Sobriety Graphic Novel book cover imageNNLM Region 7 offers a Graphic Medicine Book Club kit for Sobriety: A Graphic Novel by Daniel Maurer and Spencer Amundson. The kit includes a discussion guide.
    • Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Guide is a collection of trusted, high quality resources on substance abuse. The guide is broken down by audience and includes specific resources for a general audience, libraries, educators, community-based organizations, public health, resources by age and population. The guide also includes recordings of SUD focused webinars that were sponsored by the NNLM.
    • Understanding the Opioid Crisis: Where Do I Begin? (Recorded October 16, 2020) This one hour, Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) online training is appropriate for anyone providing health information to the general public including public and medical librarians, patient or community educators, and healthcare professionals.​ This recording will help you to understand what addiction and opioids are and where you can find authoritative information to understand this complex epidemic. You also will learn how to discuss many of these resources and explore ideas for their use in community outreach education and programs in your library or organization.

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  • FindTreatment.gov is a confidential and anonymous resource for persons seeking treatment for mental and substance use disorders in the United States and its territories.
  • National Drug and Alcohol IQ Challenge
  • People Recover Educational Graphic Medicine image of two adults holding each otherDrugs of Abuse videos by Learn. Genetics
  • People Recover tells the story of living with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders [SAMSHA PDF 36 pages]
  • Supporting a Loved One Dealing with Mental and/or Substance Use Disorders: Starting the Conversation [SAMSHA PDF 1 page]
  • Reducing Stigma: Understanding Addiction and Supporting Recovery [CDC PDF 3 pages]
  • Fade Away book cover imageTalking to Kids About Alcohol and Other Drugs: 5 Conversation Goals [SAMSHA PDF 2 pages
  • Fadeaway by Elaine Vickers is a young adult story of a high school basketball star who goes missing and the town's secrets that are exposed. "A compassionate look at the opioid crisis with a compelling opening that will hook readers right away." - School Library Journal | WorldCat | [Discussion Guide PDF]
  • Use the CDC's Opioid and Health Indicators Database to find counties most at risk of an HIV or a hepatitis C outbreak to help raise awareness of hepatitis testing. 
  • Take Action Against Hepatitis C book cover imageTake Action Against Hepatitis C [SAMSHA PDF 29 pages]
  • Pathways to Safer Opioid Use is an interactive one-hour training that promotes the appropriate, safe, and effective use of opioids to manage chronic pain.
  • What causes opioid addiction, and why is it so tough to combat? Mike Davis | TED-Ed | May 2020    
  • HHS Presents How to Save a Life: Live Naloxone Demonstration | September 15, 2023
  • Harm Reduction Article 

Featured Books

  • Title: Blackout
    Author Sarah Hepola
    Publisher Grand Central Publishing
    Year published 2015
    Book image Blackout book cover
  • Title: Canary in the Coal Mine
    Author William Cooke, M.D.
    Publisher Tyndale Publishing
    Year published 2021
    Book image Canary in the Coal Mine book cover
  • Title: Come Home, Indio
    Author Jim Terry
    Publisher Street Noise Books
    Year published 2020
    Book image Come Home, Indio book cover
  • Title: Corrections in Ink
    Author Keri Blakinger
    Publisher St Martin's Press
    Year published 2022
    Book image Corrections in Ink book cover
  • Title: Demon Copperhead
    Author Barbara Kingsolver
    Publisher HarperCollins
    Year published 2022
    Book image Demon Copperhead book cover
  • Title: Dreamland
    Author Sam Quiñones
    Publisher Bloomsbury
    Year published 2019
    Book image Dreamland Young Adult book cover
  • Title: From the Ashes
    Author Jesse Thistle
    Publisher Atria Books
    Year published 2021
    Book image From the Ashes book cover
  • Title: Hey, Kiddo
    Author Jarrett J Krosoczka
    Publisher Graphix
    Year published 2018
    Book image Hey Kiddo book cover
  • Title: Scenes From My Life
    Author Michael K Williams
    Publisher Crown
    Year published 2022
    Book image Scenes from My Life book cover
  • Title: The Least of Us
    Author Sam Quiñones
    Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
    Year published 2021
    Book image The Least of Us book cover

Terms of use: Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) staff offer these health discussion resources for educational use. The materials included do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author, publisher, or the sponsoring agencies of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).